SPEAKABLE HORRORS

What Lovecraftian consequences did Prospero invoke by using black magic for his own selfish gain? Author Aron Tarbuck (Werewolf: the Apocalypse, Unhallowed Metropolis) and Illustrator J Kovach (Magic: the Gathering, Adult Swim) have joined up to create this haunting tale of struggle and redemption against insurmountable horrors in this, their first graphic novel together.

Crowd sourcing the funds for this project through Kickstarter will enable the creators to develop a graphic novel with fine art illustrations and an amazing tale. They hope you stop by and take a look at the concept art and detail pieces for this project!

FROM ARON AND J

The Tempest is William Shakespeare’s final solo work. Each time I watch or read it I covet more; I need the rest of the story. Prospero used black alchemy to get what he wanted, then just walked away as if there would be no price to pay. But there must be a price. One late night after watching The Tempest starring Helen Mirren, Aron turned to me and confessed that he, too, had always wanted more story… My little heart skipped a beat! Trying to stay calm, I looked at him and said, “Then let’s write the story we have always wanted to read.” …and this project was born.

MAKING LOVECRAFT’S DREAM COME TRUE

What if we could make H.P. Lovecraft’s dreams come true? What if we could create a project wherein he and William Shakespeare could create together? Lovecraft not only idolized Shakespeare, he also studied and emulated The Bard in his own creations. The world of Lovecraft is a rich one, a horrific place that is as terrifying as it is detailed. There are countless beings, gods, and legends gracing the pages of his prose; each one connected to a deeper world and deeper meaning. What if the dark god in The Tempest was some being from the universe of H.P. Lovecraft?

The Genius of Shakespeare Meets the Madness of Lovecraft

THE TEMPEST in SUMMARY

The world is reduced to a tiny island. Prospero and his child are exiled there by his own

brother who greedily takes his seat as Duke of Milan after claiming that Prospero

practiced dark sorcery. Upon the island lives a witch who embraces the black arts, who is the concubine of a dark god, and who had conceived a wretched, twisted child with her deity. Prospero covets the witch’s great powers and so kills her, enslaves the spirit child, and embraces the forbidden tomes of her arts. He uses these black powers to bring his enemies to him, brutally torturing them in a frenzy of madness. In the end, he takes back his crown, eventually forgiving the usurpers. He gives up the dark arts and goes home to rule. He dumps the tomes into the sea never to look upon magic again…

THE STORY WE ALWAYS WANTED TO READ

What great Lovecraftian god comes to claim the price for Prospero’s embrace of black magic? Calling upon unimaginable forces, this deity slowly manipulates each thing Prospero holds dear into self-sabotage. His throne, his life, his own unrepentant brother, all slowly decaying into the powers of darkness. But as the laws of alchemy dictate, what is taken must then be given; all things in equal measure, and Prospero took many things from this god… In particular, a love and a child. Prospero’s child is the one unpredictable thing standing in the way of his own annihilation and the one thing the god covets most. Having lived a sheltered existence on the island they were exiled to, Miranda was always obedient, innocent, and demure. Now faced with the certain destruction of both her beloved father and her own future, she must overcome her innocence and her fear to become the warrior who could conquer the dark forces threatening their world.

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About Jonathan G. Nelson

Jonathan G. Nelson is the editor-in-chief and owner of NERD TREK. He is also owner/publisher at AAW Games / AdventureAWeek.com, a tabletop gaming company based in Snoqualmie, WA.
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